10 One-of-a-Kind Experiences on Catalina Island

California's Catalina Island is undoubtedly one of the world's most beautiful destinations. However, travelers might not be aware of just how diverse the island's attractions are. Located just over 20 miles off the Southern California coast, the fun begins even before you arrive in Catalina as you're transported via a short ferry ride.

The Catalina Express offers boat transportation to Catalina Island from three different ports, including San Pedro, Long Beach and Dana Point. Offering up to 30 daily departures featuring airline-style seats and grouped table seating, getting to Catalina Island has never been more easy, comfortable or fun.

The Catalina Casino is perhaps the island's most famous landmark but it's not the gambling destination most people think it is. Book a walking tour to see what made it such a popular gathering place decades ago and to learn about the island's historic beginnings.

There is no shortage of beaches to enjoy on Catalina Island. South Beach, Middle Beach and Step Beach in Avalon are public beaches offering plenty of soft sand and crystal-clear blue water.

Avalon is Catalina's most well-known and popular city and a great place to begin your stay on the island. Book a scenic tour or a harbor lights tour along the waterfront before checking out Two Harbors on Catalina's West End. The quieter, more rustic city has undergone some changes of late and now boasts a new beach and complementing amenities.

Visitors to the interior of Catalina Island are likely to spot wild bison. The roaming herd were transported to the island nearly a century ago for a movie shoot and became the island's largest resident land mammal.

Hiking Catalina Island is unlike anything else thanks to the island's scenic backcountry and the new and improved Trans-Catalina Trail, which stretches more than 38 miles and offers incredible views of both land and sea.

Mix in some adrenaline with your beautiful views at Catalina Aerial Adventure Park. Hit the zip lines, test your strength on the Catalina Climbing Wall or traverse the new ropes-and-planks course weaving through massive eucalyptus trees in Descanso Canyon.

If you thought the views from land were impressive, just wait until you see Catalina Island from hundreds of feet up in the sky. Visitors can even fly for free on their birthday with one paid 800-foot flight with Parasail Catalina.

In addition to land, air and sea, visitors to Catalina Island can venture underwater without getting wet with a submarine adventure tour. Passengers can enjoy a climate-controlled cabin while they watch fish and other marine life.

Just a 30-minute walk from Downtown Avalon, the scenic Wrigley Memorial and Botanical Gardens pays homage to American chewing gum industrialist William Wrigley Jr. and showcases eye-popping plants that can only be found on California's Channel Islands.